Mineralogy & Petrography

The solid Earth we live on consists of a large variety of rocks. These are not "dead" materials, but are created, evolve and "die". Volcanic eruptions, mountain building and erosion are but a few possible stations in the life of a rock. Some processes may be beneficial for humankind, e.g. they lead to the formation of ore deposits, oil fields or fertile soils, but may represent also a threat like active volcanism. Mineralogy and Petrography deal with the physical and chemical properties of rocks as well as minerals and with the processes through which they form.